


Of Strings and Stones

by andapanda



Category: Coco (2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Mythology, F/M, Gorgon AU, Imector, Medusa AU, One Shot, There are some sad bits but it has a happy ending, and romantic, generally just supposed to be cute, so enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-04-01 07:41:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13993656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andapanda/pseuds/andapanda
Summary: She is a gorgon and he is a musician and one day their paths cross and something neither of them expect just so happens.





	Of Strings and Stones

A song, there was a song playing not far from the old ruins she called home, the ruins that were populated by life-like statues with expressions ranging from surprise to terror. It was proof that no one dared to go near these ruins anymore lest they turn into stone from her petrifying gaze. This is why when she woke up that morning to a song playing, a song not from chirped by birds or sung by any animal, but pulled from strings.

She was curious of course, what mortal would dare come so close to such a dangerous place? Who would risk coming this close to possibly be forever trapped in a stone coffin shaped to them?

She wanted to know, so she made sure the brown snakes she had instead of hair were hanging passed her right shoulder in a faux braid, her purple dress was firmly tied at her waist with a gold band and her hand-crafted shoes sat nicely on her feet.

Imelda was going to investigate this mysterious sound coming from the forest surrounding the place she called home.

She made her way through the forest, making almost no sound as she had gotten good at moving around with little to no sound from having to hunt for food without it looking her in the eyes and avoiding foolish soldiers in search of glory from killing the hideous snake haired beast. The stories the mortals told of her always made her out to be this ugly thing, but they were always caught off guard that she wasn’t, which in the end became their undoing.

She was close now, she could clearly hear the strumming and was fairly certain which clearing the brave musician had decided to play in. When she was just outside that small clearing, the musician began to sing. It was a sweet voice, a voice that could make Imelda melt under different circumstances, but there was a hint of sadness in his voice which peaked her curiosity more, making her finally peak out into the clearing.

Sitting under the largest tree at the other edge of the small clearing, the musician sat, strumming the old guitar in his hands while he sang. He had dark shaggy hair, a large nose and ears that still somehow looked just the right size for his face. His limbs were long and gangly, the old torn clothing making it even more noticeable.

Imelda couldn’t bring herself to look away again, getting captured in the strange man’s song. She only realised what she was doing when he had stopped, and she accidentally stepped on a fallen branch, letting the musician know that he had an audience.

“Hola?”

Imelda had quickly moved behind the tree, easily levelling her breathing so that he couldn’t hear it.

“I hope you’re not a bear or anything? Or that I’m trespassing, I didn’t think anyone owns these woods.”

She couldn’t help but raise a brow at the strange man’s rambling, wondering if he was either brave or simply stupid for even thinking about reasoning with a bear.

“I’m Héctor” He introduced himself “Héctor Rivera, I am…well was, a musician.” He finished with an awkward laugh.

“Was?” Imelda let out before she could catch herself.

“Oh, a lady?” He figured before he turned to face where her voice came from. “And yes, I was.”

“You were playing quite well, I’d say that makes you a musician.” Imelda explained her reasoning, trying to figure out this strange man.

“I play where no one can usually hear me señorita, you are my first real audience in a while.” As much as she would like to keep asking him questions and get the answer she wanted, she knew that it would have to wait for now. For now, she was mostly just glad that she could talk to another living being for once without them screaming away in terror while calling her a vile monster.

“You’re not bad…. why don’t you sing for others?” She asked the odd musician that she barely noticed was slowly getting closer to her hiding place.

“Gracias señorita, but I have my reasons for not playing for others anymore.” There was that sadness in his voice, the same one she had noticed when he sang. “But can I know your name? I feel a little left out, since I gave you mine.”

She hadn’t even noticed that she hadn’t given her name, which she rarely ever did these days, but she didn’t like being rude, so she gave him an answer. “Imelda.”

“Imelda, what a beautiful name.” He said, making her notice that he was most likely right on the other side of the tree she was hiding, yet she didn’t move, not yet. “Fitting for such a beautiful voice.”

“You’re not the first to try to woo me.” She lied, barely anyone even dared to come close to her these days in fear of being petrified by her gaze. “Many men have tried and failed.”

“Then maybe I can be one more?” He asked, and Imelda could tell he was being sincere, something in his voice told her that.

“Maybe you’re just a fool then.” Imelda retorted.

“Maybe I am.” He agreed.

“A fool of a musician who only plays where no one can hear.” She couldn’t help but smile at that, it made her think about the times she would sing to herself in her ruins.

“That is true, but someone did hear it, no?” He half asked, making her look to the side with a smile that dropped as soon as he saw his hand coming around the tree.

“Don’t!” She yelled as she jumped away, not wanting him to see what she really was, not yet. “Don’t….I uh……” She wasn’t sure what to say next, she had only known him for a few minutes, she had no idea how he would react to seeing her before turning into a stone statue, forever hidden in the forest. “I’m…. shy.”

“Lo siento, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Héctor apologised and moved away from the tree and she settled back to where she had been previously.

“No, no, it’s alright, I’m sorry.” Imelda said, not wanting to say more than that.

“If you say so.” He didn’t sound convinced, but she heard more footsteps moving away from the tree.

“I will come back tomorrow, I hope that’s alright.” He laughed which made Imelda smile. “Will you come listen?”

“No sé.” She answered.

* * *

The next day she found herself back at that clearing, the same musician, Héctor, playing a new song this time, there was less sadness in his voice and Imelda closed her eyes behind her tree, letting the song flow over her, encompass her and take her somewhere new as she hummed along with the melody.

Once the song finished, she was dragged out of her little daydream and back into reality. Where she began to think of what he had said the day before.

“Why don’t you sing for others?” Imelda asked as he began playing a short nonsensical tune on his guitar.

“I….” He was about to tell her something before stopping himself from talking and playing the little tune. “It’s a long and ugly story.”

“Lo siento.” Her story was a long and ugly one as well, she understood the reluctance to talk. She hadn’t exactly given him anything other than her name.

“It’s getting dark, I probably should head home.” Héctor said, the familiar joy back in his voice as if nothing had happened. “I’ll be here tomorrow; will you be here?”

“No sé.” She answered again.

* * *

 

This continued for the next few days, she would find him in the clearing, strumming his guitar and singing some song, and she would find herself, hiding behind the tree humming along with the melody, trying to tell herself not to, but being unable to stop herself. As if something was pulling her.

And each day she came back just to listen to him, there was something about the way he played, there was a story there that she wanted to know. She began to care more about him than she thought, she had to remind him to eat, some days she had to even provide him with food as he hadn’t brought any with him or couldn’t afford it. She even got into the habit of bringing lunch every day just in case.

One day he had fallen asleep in the clearing, guitar in hand as he quietly snored under the big tree. Imelda had moved closer that day as quietly as she could as to not to wake him up. She had noticed that he never wore shoes and well she wasn’t going to let that go unchecked, especially after she noticed the small scars and scrapes on the soles of his feet.

She wasn’t one to let such a kind man go on without good shoes, and if anything, Imelda was a great shoemaker, so she took his measurements and memorized them as she had nothing to write on, but she could rely on her memory.

For Héctor she would make one of her finest works.

She worked on the shoes whenever she had time, which often meant late nights and early mornings, so she could still go to the clearing and listen to him during the day. She had gotten into the habit of humming whatever song he had recently sung, eventually she sang them as well.

It took some time, but she finished the shoes and just in time before she would be heading for the clearing that day.

When she got there, Héctor wasn’t there, but Imelda could wait, she was a patient woman after all, it was a perk from being semi-immortal. But when her odd musician didn’t come before noon, she began to worry, he was usually there in the morning, most often before she was there. Maybe something had happened to him, maybe the people in the nearest town had found out he was playing his guitar in this forest and that he had been talking to her.

Humans could always be quite cruel, even to their own.

Before Imelda could even start thinking about acting on her worries, there was a noise at the other edge of the clearing.

“Lo siento Imelda, I had to do some work this morning, I hope I didn’t make you worry.” Héctor said, announcing his presence, making Imelda let out a small sigh of relief.

“You didn’t.” She lied, both to him and herself. “What do you do?”

“Some odd jobs when I can.” He said. “Got to get by somehow.”

“Por supuesto.” She agreed, though wondered how often he truly did work considering he usually was in the clearing and from the clothes he wore, it didn’t look like he did much at all.

“I wrote a song for you.” Héctor said as he sat down under his tree. “Can I sing it for you?”

“You’ve never asked before.” She stated, trying to hide her excitement.

“I know, but this is different, this one is just for you.” Imelda couldn’t help the blush from crawling its way to her cheeks. “Can I?”

“Ay, just sing already.” She made sure that none of her excitement was obvious by the sound of her voice, but knowing he had written a song just for her did make her feel warm inside, especially as she held the newly finished shoes she held in her arms and tightly to her chest as he began to sing.

Once the song was done there was a few minutes of silence.

“Did you like it?” He asked, evidently hoping that she did.

“It was good.” She simply stated, but oh she had loved it.

“Gracias! I’m glad.” He said excitedly, making Imelda smile as she still held on to the shoes.

“Can I make a request?” She asked.

“Of course, whatever you want.”

“The song you sang, on the first day, the first one.” She asked, it had been the song she sang the most while working on the shoes.

“Anything for my wonderful audience.” He joked as he started tuning his guitar for the song.

It wasn’t long after that he started strumming his guitar, the familiar song playing, but before he could start singing, she did.

It went on like that until the sun started setting on their time together, signalling Héctor that it was time for him to head back home for the night.

“I will be back tomorrow.” He said. “Will you?”

She opened her mouth, but before she gave him her usual response, she remembered the shoes she had made for him. “Espera.”

“Wait? That’s new.” Héctor remarked but did as she had asked.

“I noticed that you never have shoes on and well, I’m pretty good at making shoes so…close your eyes.” Imelda told him, holding the shoes she had made close to herself.

“Did you make me shoes?” He asked, surprised by the idea.

“Just close your eyes, ok.” Imelda asked him again, or more like demanded this time, she just had to give him the shoes and it would be done, as long as he closed his eyes and didn’t look her in the eyes at all.

“Vale.” He agreed finally, “Eyes are closed.”

“Gracias.” She said with a huff before she slowly peered from behind her tree and saw that his eyes were firmly shut. With that, she took a deep breath and moved slowly in front of him.

“Hands out.” She told him, and he complied.

“Sí, mi Diosa.” He said jokingly, making a small blush crawl its way up Imelda’s cheeks before she placed the shoes in his hands and moved back to behind her tree.

“Alright, you can open your eyes now.” And now she just had to wait, she would have loved to see his reaction, but she couldn’t risk it, now when he hadn’t even worn the shoes she had made for him.

“You did make me shoes!” He exclaimed, and she heard a thump on the ground making her think that the tall and gangly man probably fell down in his excitement, and with limbs like his she wouldn’t be surprised. “Oh, they fit perfectly!”

She smiled proudly at that “Of course, I am a great shoemaker.”

“I can tell, muchas gracias Imelda, I would give you a kiss but...” He laughed, making Imelda blush at the idea and she smiled before she was reminded that they would never be able to even look at each other, at least, never in the eyes, and she couldn’t help but wonder what they looked like.

“Your gratitude is enough.” She said, making sure none of her sad thoughts would make themselves evident in her voice.

“I’ll get you something in return, Lo prometo.” With that he left the clearing, leaving Imelda alone with her thoughts, and the reminder that this would have to end eventually, and she knew that it would have to happen sooner rather than later.

* * *

 

Despite the thoughts from the night before, she decided not to end it right away and at least let herself live this little fantasy for a little while longer.

“Why do you keep coming here?” She asked him.

“Because I can play for you, mi diosa.” He answered as he played a tune she couldn’t quite recognise.

“But the first time you had no idea I would even be here.” She pointed out, making him stay quiet for some time.

“It’s nice in here, and I can play my music.” He then explained, yet Imelda didn’t find it to be a perfect answer, there was something else there, but she didn’t pry and instead she stayed quiet until the day ended.

But she grew increasingly quiet with each day, and he noticed, she knew, but he didn’t say anything about it. Instead he kept talking, telling her about how wonderful the shoes where and how everyone in town was jealous. Admittedly it made her swell with pride each time he told her.  
It made it increasingly harder for her to finally stop this, to stop coming all together, but she kept putting it off, she’d tell herself she would do it tomorrow, but she never did. Instead she listened to him and his stories and his songs, until one day he told her he had the gift he said he was going to give her.

“I’m going to need you to come here though? If that’s alright?” He sounded sheepish, scared even. And Imelda understood, she was scared too, he would see her, he would know.

“I can’t.” It was more strained than she intended, she wanted to go but for his own safety she couldn’t.

“I’ll close my eyes? I won’t see anything.” He said, trying to reassure her that things were alright, but his nervousness was still evident.

“Why can’t you just leave it where I can get it?” She asked.

“Because I have to do it a certain way.” He said, a bit more confident now.

“Por qué?” She was genuinely confused as to why he had to do it a certain why, and why he couldn’t just make it simpler.

“I just have to.” He repeated confidently before sheepishly adding, “Por favor?”

It took Imelda a few minutes of a lot of thinking to finally go with his plan, but only if he closed his eyes, and he was alright with that, so long as he could do whatever he had in mind the right way.

Imelda got a good idea for what it was when he asked her to stand in front him with her back facing towards him and she saw his hands coming on each side, and in his hands, he held a necklace, a simple necklace made of dark beads and seemed to have a jewel in the middle of it that she couldn’t see due to how he was holding it.

“A necklace?” She asked, wondering what had made him, an obviously poor man, buy a stranger a necklace.

“Well you gave me shoes and Cheech told me this was what I should give you in return, he tells me it’s beautiful.” He said, and Imelda began wondering about how he had phrased that sentence but decided not to question it.

“It’s not much but, it’s the least I can do.” He added once he had placed the necklace around her neck where it sat snuggly, and Imelda ran her fingers over it.

“Gracias.” She whispered, moving slowly back to her hiding spot, catching a glance behind her of Héctor, whose eyes where still closed, the snakes on her head curled up, making it harder for her to hide just how happy she was for the simple present.

“Will you sing with me?” He asked once she had gotten behind her tree again, fingers still tracing over the necklace.

“No sé.” She answered, but she knew, even if he hadn’t asked, she would sing with him.

* * *

 

Almost every day after that he would play, and she would sing and in her long and lonely life, she was beginning to feel truly happy. Then one day, after they had been meeting at that clearing for a few months, it had become a regular part of her life, just as dealing with stupidly brave soldiers had once been.

“I wish I could see you.” Héctor said, playing a nonsensical tune on his guitar that she suspected he would write down later.

“Lo Sé.” Imelda wished that too.

“I never told you why I’m not a musician anymore, did I?” He then added, making Imelda want to look behind her tree.

“No, you didn’t.”

“I had a friend, a best friend, more like a brother really.” He began his story, that sadness she had noticed on their first meeting crawling back into his voice. “We were a double act, we did everything together but…”

“But?” She inquired, wondering what had happened that made it so that Héctor was now alone singing in a random clearing in the middle of the woods.

“But there was an accident, he was alright but I…. well, I wasn’t.” Now Imelda was curious, the few times she did see him, she never saw anything obviously wrong, so what could have happened to him that split the two up.

“What happened to you?” She asked, daring to glance at him from behind her tree.

“It doesn’t matter, not anymore at least.” He said, smiling brightly, eyes open and staring at nothing in particular. But Imelda didn’t move, still looking at him from her hiding place.

“But it does, doesn’t it.” She didn’t ask this time, instead she moved from behind her tree, her snakes nervously curling around each other.

“I thought so, but now…” He trailed off, realising that she was moving closer to him and before either of them knew, she had kneeled in front of him and her hands where cupping his cheeks.

“You can’t see…. can you?” She stared him in the eyes, finally finding out that he had brown eyes, despite the slight milky sheen over them, they were still a warm and beautiful brown.

He was quiet, unseeing eyes glancing down as if he knew she was staring at them. “No.”

“And did your friend just leave you like that?” Anger was evident in her voice, she wanted to meet that friend of his.

“We had a dream and I didn’t want a little accident…”

“He was still like a brother to you! How could he just leave you like this, your clothes barely count as such, you have scars on the soles of your feet from lack of shoes and you wander into forests on your own!” Her anger boiled, both at his friend, for him not telling her and for his recklessness. But there was something else there too, a bit of joy, that if he couldn’t see, she couldn’t turn him to stone.

“You care about me.” He blurted out, almost as if he was ignoring her anger, his hand moving to cover hers. She couldn’t help but blush and pull her hand away from his cheeks.

“Mira, I’m just angry that someone would leave a blind man on his own!” And she cared about him, she could deny him that knowledge, but she knew. “It’s common sense.”

He reached his hands out, finding Imelda’s hand and stroking it with his fingers. “You have soft skin…”

“Qué… Héctor!” She shouted, but she didn’t pull her hand away this time. “This is not the time to fawn over skin.”

“Lo sé, I’m just happy.” He stated, still stroking her hand with his thumb.

“Why?”

“Because I can touch you, even if it’s just a little.” He said, the smile on his face so handsome to Imelda that she could simply melt right then and there, but she kept her composure.

She sighed, she was happy too, that she could look at him and touch him for once, but there were more important things to do, and to tell.

“Escúchame, Héctor.” She began, she wanted to tell him about what she was, why she was alone in the woods, why she never wanted him to see her. But the idea of him hating her for it stopped her, “You shouldn’t be coming here.”

“I’ve been coming here for months mi diosa, I can handle myself.” He said, laughing slightly.

“That’s not…” She sighed, stopping to compose herself. “There are ruins close by, a monster lives there, a gorgon…”

“Lo sé.” He cut her off.

“Then why did you come here?” She asked.

“I know about the ruins and the legends.” He elaborated but not answering her “And I know it’s you.”

“Qué?” She backed away, their hands no longer touching. “What do you mean you know?”

“Well, you never wanted me to see you and you’re the only living woman who would even come close to this forest, I just kind of guessed.”

“Qué.” She repeated.

“Me equivoco? Ay Dios Mío I’m wrong aren’t I?” He started, panic setting in and he covered his face to hide his embarrassment as he continued to babble on about how sorry he was and that he shouldn’t have said that.

Imelda couldn’t help but laugh, causing Héctor to stop. She moved closer to him and sat on her knees in front of him, holding both of his hands this time, pulling them away from his face.

“You’re not wrong, Héctor.” There was still a slight laugh in her voice. “This whole situation is just a little weird, is all.”

“Y eso?” He asked.

“Well, when most people find out what I am, they either try to kill me or run away screaming.” She answered him, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hands.

“I’ve heard.” He was now slightly laughing. “But with a voice like yours, how could they?”

“They don’t see me the way you do. They just see the snakes.” She pointed out.

“You’d be surprised what you start seeing when you can no longer use your eyes.” He joked, leaning forward slightly, with Imelda going in as well until the two touched foreheads.

“You are impossible.” She whispered, and he smiled, the two of them content with where they were in that moment, no longer thinking of what happened before or what would happen next.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first Coco fanfic and I really hope I did well!  
> I'd just like to thank my wonderful friends Sketch and Aura for betaing this for me and especially Aura with the Spanish.
> 
> Sketch does not have an account here but is known as Sketch-Ice on Tumblr and dA so please check them out they do wonderful art  
> and Aura is known as Aurawind here and she has the most wonderful fic on here.
> 
> Translations  
> \- "Hola" Hello...of course  
> \- "Gracias" Thank you...of course  
> \- "Lo siento" I'm sorry  
> \- "No sé" I don't know  
> \- "Por supuesto" Of course  
> \- "Espera" wait  
> \- "Vale" ok  
> \- "Sí, mi diosa" yes, my goddess  
> \- "Lo prometo" I promise  
> \- "Lo sé" I know  
> \- "Mira" look  
> \- "Qué" what....of course  
> \- "Escúchame" Listen to me  
> \- "Me equivoco?" Am i wrong?  
> \- "Y eso?" How so  
> 


End file.
